I’ve written a few times about the great debate involving controversial historical monuments in this country. The two sides in the matter are deeply dug into their positions. One group yells, “No, you can’t take them down—it’s history,” and the other screams, “Yes, you must take them down because they’re hateful.” In my opinion, the… Continue Reading
1904- What a Year!
My process in writing begins with the selection of an interesting point in time. Failed Moments, which took place from 1790 to 1863, began with the Haitian Slave Revolution and ended with the American Civil War. A Wave From Mama, set in Brooklyn, spans the great period of change between the end of the Civil… Continue Reading
When You Attack the UK, You Attack US
I’ve been reflecting on the attacks in the UK over the last several months and while I cringe when I hear about this type of thing happening anywhere in the world, I must say that the UK attacks feel particularly close to home. Given that I have no close personal connections to the UK, I… Continue Reading
The Difference Between Celebrating and Not Forgetting
The New York Times published an article on May 27th entitled, “In Popular Park, a Point of Contention.” The opening line provides the angle for the piece: “ST. LOUIS—The angry, divisive fight over public symbols of the Confederacy has swept through Columbia, S.C., Birmingham, Ala., and New Orleans. This week the debate made its way… Continue Reading
Applause for Mushroom Clouds
A full orchestra provided a sound track to the images on the screen for an audience, clad in their finest evening attire, which represented the elite of society. Missiles were launched and video tracked their progress across the Pacific. At times the crescendo of the music surpassed the applause, but in the end the applause… Continue Reading
They Don’t Belong Here
You know the ones…they took our jobs and drained our resources…they need to go back to where they came from. A major newspaper explained their racial inferiority through a series of detailed articles and things became uncomfortable for them—some left. Bus companies did their part and offered one-way reduced fare tickets. The Federal government hired… Continue Reading
A Pop Quiz
This month’s blog will appeal to students of history and is presented below in question format. Yes, that’s right. I know I didn’t announce it…I’m giving you a pop quiz! If you read my books, I think you’ll know most of the answers, and if you haven’t yet had the chance, this will give you… Continue Reading
The Line
I woke up from a dream and my hands trembled as I sat by my computer to recreate what I’d just experienced. Here it is. The line snaked around the corner as everyone nervously waited. The women fixed their hair and the men alternated between straightening and loosening their ties. Was it better to look… Continue Reading
The Adorned and the Unsullied
A long Sunday morning web surfing session with a cup of coffee by my side delivered me to a site called, Fact Retriever and I quickly discovered an interesting article entitled, 50 Thought-provoking Facts about Race and Racism written by Karin Lehnardt. All fifty facts were of interest, but Fact #5, which relates to the future,… Continue Reading
Slavery in New York
From the revolutionary war era through the end of the Civil War, New York was on all sides of the slavery issue. Slavery was alive and well during the years preceding the conflict, and then the desire for soldiers caused both sides during the war to grant freedom to males who were willing to enlist.… Continue Reading